While driving a current motor vehicle, the driver glances at the rearview mirror to gain awareness of the situation behind the vehicle. The frequency and rate of the driver's glances in the rearview mirror are very high in order for the driver to maintain situational awareness in all safety-relevant areas, including the forward roadway, side view mirrors, and rearview mirror. In order for the driver to switch the mode of the rearview mirror display system between a display mode and a rearview mirror mode, the driver needs to press a button located on the bottom of the mirror. During the time it takes to switch modes, the driver's awareness and attention can be drawn away from the safety-relevant areas.